Police seize black BMW linked to spate of robberies

December 5, 2016

The black BMW thought to be involved in a string of burglaries and break-ins across the district in recent days has been recovered by police. PSNI officers seized the vehicle for forensic examination after it was located in a housing estate in Cloughoge last Wednesday evening, having been abandoned by its occupants.

A gang of men are thought to have been travelling in the car, using a variety of false plates, targeting homes and properties in Camlough, Bessbrook and Newry. Just last weekend there was shock and revulsion felt throughout the locality when a family dog was brutally killed by heartless burglars who entered the Archdale property in the early evening of Friday 25th November while the family were out.

Speaking after the sickening incident, police said they had received reports that a number of men travelling in a dark coloured car, possibly a BMW 1 Series, had broken into properties in Donard View in Loughbrickland, Derrymore Road in Newry as well as the property in Archdale, stealing cash and jewellery.

The incidents followed reports of suspicious activity in the Bessbrook and Camlough areas, involving men travelling in a car matching that description. Residents in Camlough had banded together to establish a Neighbourhood Watch scheme in the wake of the spate of break-ins and vehicle thefts and groups of residents, organised by the Camlough Community Association, had begun nightly patrols of the area in an effort to deter would-be burglars.

The night after the despicable killing of the family pet in Bessbrook, further sightings of the black BMW in the local area were widely reported on social media and the PSNI Newry and Mourne Facebook page also shared a photo of the model in question, which they said was last spotted with a local registration, possibly “LEZ”, in the greater Newry city area.

The vehicle was eventually located by police on Wednesday evening, thanks to valuable tip-offs from the Camlough Community Association who had issued a warning via social media the previous night that the suspect vehicle was using the new registration LEZ 3816. On Tuesday police also reassured the public they had deployed extra resources across the district and Sinn Fein councillor Roisin Mulgrew had also posted a word of caution for residents to be extra vigilant as the vehicle was believed to be in the area.

PSNI Newry and Mourne thanked the public for all their calls in relation to the vehicle and confirmed they had taken it away for forensic examination.

Speaking to The Examiner on Friday, a police spokesperson advised that those tests were still ongoing and no arrests had yet been made in relation to the local burglary spree.